Services

The Getchell Agency, Inc. enhances the lives of individuals with physical, emotional, and cognitive disabilities by providing 24/7 residential services and a support system for each individual that optimizes their personal wellbeing and community involvement. Our vision is to insure the people with disabilities live independent, community enriched lives. We believe in a team approach and offer a family atmosphere for each of the people we serve. Each of the homes is a reflection of the consumers who live there. We maintain an open door policy that encourages guardians, relatives, and friends to visit and interact with each consumer as well as our staff and management team. We maintain close contact with each of our guardians not only in regards to all medical, dental, medication, and therapy related treatment, but also to help us provide a personalized living environment and community engagement program that optimizes each of our consumer’s quality of life. Our primary goal is to provide the highest quality of life for each individual. We know that achieving this goal on a daily basis rests in large measure on the on the quality and capabilities of our staff. Accordingly, we invest in the highest standards of staff development and training for each of our employees.

Person-Centered Planning

Person Centered Planning is the key ingredient of a person focused approach to supporting people to live meaningful lives. It provides endless possibilities when people and their teams come together to make dreams become reality. With the teams input the process can be creative, fulfilling, and bring meaning to individuals lives. The person is always at the center of this team process.

Person Centered Planning is a process based on relationships. It takes a team to make the process work effectively. There are phases to the process that include different conversations on different occasions among different people.

Person Centered Planning is one way of figuring out where someone is going and what kind of support services they need to get there. Part of it is asking the person, their family, friends, and people who work with him or her about the things they want t do and what they can do well.

Planning is a dynamic and continuous process that is always changing. One of the challenges of this process is to honor the person's preferences while making sure all requirements of DHHS are met.

Communication is an essential part of the process, not just with the person but also with the entire planning team.

The planning process consists of five major stages:

Preparation: Understanding the person and their situation, gathering information, encouraging others who know the person to contribute their perceptions and ideas.

Pre-planning: Working with the person/guardian to review information, set priorities, determine an agenda, and invite people to join in the process.

Action planning: Identifying needs and desires and developing action steps to accomplish goals. Action planning is often done in a team meeting. Action planning can also be done through a series of conversations with different people.

Quality Assurance: Making sure the documentation meets standards and requirements.

Implementation and monitoring: Following through on action steps, checking progress and revising the plan as necessary.

At The Getchell Agency, Inc. we are committed to the person centered planning philosophy and process as a major part of the services we provide. If you would like to find out more about person centered planning, please feel free to contact Susan James, PCP/Quality Assurance Coordinator at 945-0747.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long has The Getchell Agency, Inc. been in operation? What is its history?

The Getchell Agency, Inc. is a privately owned and operated Maine business providing residential and support services to adults with mental retardation and other challenges who qualify under the State of Maine Bureau of Mental Retardation Waiver Program. The agency was established in 1998 by Rena Getchell, President and Chief Executive Officer. Under Ms. Getchell's leadership, the agency has grown from one home serving two consumers to the present day where it operates 35 homes and serves as over 65 consumers at a given time.

Are the agency's homes licensed?

While only one of our homes is required to be licensed, every home at The Getchell Agency, Inc. operates at a level that is consistent with the highest licensing standard in Maine.

How can prospective guardians learn more about agency' services?

We encourage all prospective consumers and guardians to contact us directly and, even better, to visit us in person. For more information or to schedule a site visit, contact our office at 945-0730 or stop by in person. We are located at 1211 Broadway Avenue in Bangor, Maine.

What is distinctive about The Getchell Agency, Inc.?

At The Getchell Agency, Inc. we provide a "non-institutionalized" look and feel. Each of our homes reflects the consumers who live there. We maintain an open door policy that encourages guardians, relatives, and friends to visit and interact with each consumer as well as our staff and management. Moreover, through a broad selection of agency-sponsored and community-based activities, our consumers are encouraged to become part of the larger community in safe, appropriate and fulfilling ways.

Who will be working directly with my family member? As the guardian will I be able to communicate directly with the staff who are assisting my family member on a daily basis?

We believe in a team approach at The Getchell Agency, Inc. and offer a family atmosphere for each of our consumers. The team we build includes our direct care staff, an extended team of specialized support staff and the Individual Support Coordinator, our management and, most importantly, you! We maintain close contact with each of our guardians not only in regard to all medical, dental, medication and therapy related treatment, but also to help us provide a personalized living environment and community engagement program that optimizes each of our consumer's quality of life.

What kind of training do our employees receive?

Our primary goal is to be the agency of choice for consumers in the Bangor region. We know that achieving this goal on a daily and annual basis rests in large measure on the quality and capabilities of our staff. Accordingly, we invest in the highest standards of staff development and training for each of our employees. Our staff training and development program complies fully with all state standards.